Who Should I Start? Ka'imi Fairbairn or Spencer Shrader

START

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
8.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Ka'imi Fairbairn News

Ka'imi Fairbairn Is a Top-10 Kicker in Week 1

Friday, September 11, 6:34 PM

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn was one of the best fantasy kickers in the NFL last season, taking advantage of his team's red-zone struggles to kick plenty of field goals. He made 44 of his 48 field-goal attempts over 15 games and went a perfect 28-for-28 on extra points. He was excellent from long range as well, going 9-for-13 from over 50 yards. This offseason, Houston locked up the 32-year-old from Hawaii with a two-year, $13 million extension. While the offense hopes to be more efficient in the red zone this season, especially after adding David Montgomery, Fairbairn remains a very strong option at the position. In Week 1's home matchup against the Bills, Fairbairn is the No. 10 kicker in RotoBaller's rankings, and he's a solid, reliable start in almost all formats.

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
7.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Spencer Shrader News

Spencer Shrader is an Overlooked Start in Week 1 with Potential Long-Term Value

Saturday, September 12, 12:59 AM

Indianapolis Colts Kicker Spencer Shrader won the preseason kicking competition against Blake Grupe and will face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. During the preseason, Shrader went five-for-five in field goals, including two from at least 60 yards, which makes him incredibly valuable for fantasy managers. Shrader had his 2025 season cut short with an ACL and MCL tear in Week 5 and was replaced by Grupe for the rest of the season, but he was 13-for-14 in field goals and 14-for-14 in extra points before going down. Because of this injury, many managers drafting in 2026 may have forgotten how dominant he was in early 2025, averaging 13 points per game in the first four weeks. Lastly, this week's game against the Ravens has one of the week's highest over/under totals at 47.5, which should translate to plenty of kicking opportunities for Shrader. More importantly, the match is at home in the controlled environment of Lucas Oil Stadium, which gives Shrader a slight edge over kickers playing outdoors. Shrader appears fully recovered and is a viable starter for the Colts and for managers in 12-person or larger leagues with kickers.

Ka'imi Fairbairn vs. Spencer Shrader

Still trying to decide between Fairbairn and Shrader? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Ka'imi Fairbairn is projected to score 8.8 points this week while Spencer Shrader is projected to score 7.7 points.